rec.autos.simulators

I'm running N4 on my admittedly low end system (P2 400, Geforce2 MX, 128
meg), and while I'm waiting for the dream system, I'm running 8 cars to keep
the framerate up.  I'm using End it all, which leaves no TSRs except for the
Systray and Explorer.  About every 20 minutes while I'm running N4, the hard
drive spins up and flashes intermittently for 30-45 seconds.  The framerates
drop to 8-12 during this time so I throw it into "pause" until it stops.  My
question is, does anyone know what is happening during this time?

Thanks

Dave

Garage Logician and 3 fan

1. Right click My Computer.
2. Click Properties.
3. Click Performance tab.
4. Click File System button.
6. Click Troubleshooting.
7. Click Disable System restore.

Hope this helps.

Lee

--

To show graphically the fatal flaw behind any of these multipliers, consider
the following using 2x.
2x32M = 64M swapfile
2x128M = 256M swapfile
2x256M = 512M swapfile
2x512M = 1G swapfile.

Does it make any sense to you that a system with 32M of memory requires a
smaller swapfile to run than a system with 512M of memory?

Never set a maximum on the size of the swap file unless you enjoy sluggish
performance and playing Russian roulette with your data.You can set a
minimum by using System Monitor to watch "Swapfile Size" for a while, and at
least once load your system up and run several programs at once to simulate
your system's highest stress level.  Then take the largest "Swapfile Size"
you've seen, add a little more to it, then set this as your minimum swapfile
size.A minimum is a reasonably good idea.  It'll help keep files from
getting fragmented if they're on the same drive as the swapfile.  It may
help performance slightly.

You can read more and get a good understanding of how Windows **truly**
handles memory here.
http://www.aumha.org/a/memmgmt.htm

--
Nas1

SNIP.............................

-----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
-----==  Over 80,000 Newsgroups - 16 Different Servers! =-----

understanding of how Windows **truly**
   Hey now...no fair trumping Urban Legends Guerrilla computing with
facts...
dave henrie

actually, if you read what he wrote, he says he has 128MB of RAM....
from his post:

presumably the "128meg" part referrs to system memory, which should really
be enough to run N4 if there are no other programs running.

if he's using ME, he should disable all the fancy system restoring functions
and stuff (that solved a similar problem for me), and/or modify cache
settings (although i don't claim to know anything about this).

but I'll go out on a limb and say you are filling

[386enh]
ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1

That will force Win98 or WinMe to use your RAM before your swapfile. Believe
it or not, that is NOT the default. I discovered this tip when I upgraded to
256 MB and my swapfile was using 20MB with NO programs loaded.

Another thing is use a fixed size swapfile. You should be fine setting it to
96 or 128MB. That way Windows won't spend time shrinking and enlarging your
swapfile.

Good Luck,

Michael M

P.S. Another tip is run MSCONFIG and disable any useless programs in the
startup section. TASKMON is the most useless of all.

Jah_Warrior86

--
"It's not who you are, it's who you're living for"
(P.O.D.)

The only solution is to either

a) write your own operating system (not worth attempting if you still want
to play the same games)

b) get a faster hard-drive (assuming you are not already using a UATA-66) or
free up more disk space thus reducing access time

c) sell your computer and buy a go-kart

Chris

--
--------------------------------------------------
http://www.the.saints.btinternet.co.uk

|    You don't say how much memory you have on board or what your
| swap file settings are...but I'll go out on a limb and say you are filling
| up
| the system memory and windows is either accessing the swap file or
| resizing it.  In either case, the hard drive cannot keep pace with regular
| ram so you get greatly reduced frame rates.  You have two options.
| 1.  Buy more memory
| 2.  Buy more memory  and set your swap file to a fixed amount of about
|      2.5 to 3 times your physical memory.
|    so if you have 64 megs of memory, your running out...get AT LEAST 128.
| and set your swap file to 128 x 2.5 which = about 320 megs.  Go to
| start/settings/
| control panel/system/device manager.  Then choose the performance tab and
| finally
| click on the virtual memory button.  set the minimum and the maximun to
320.
| don't worry when windows tries to talk you out of it.
| dave henrie

| > Hopefully someone's seen this before:
| >
| > I'm running N4 on my admittedly low end system (P2 400, Geforce2 MX, 128
| > meg), and while I'm waiting for the dream system, I'm running 8 cars to
| keep
| > the framerate up.  I'm using End it all, which leaves no TSRs except for
| the
| > Systray and Explorer.  About every 20 minutes while I'm running N4, the
| hard
| > drive spins up and flashes intermittently for 30-45 seconds.  The
| framerates
| > drop to 8-12 during this time so I throw it into "pause" until it stops.
| My
| > question is, does anyone know what is happening during this time?
| >
| > Thanks
| >
| > Dave
| >
| > Garage Logician and 3 fan
| >
| >
|
|